Trench MOSFET with self-aligned body contact with spacer

ABSTRACT

Trench MOSFET with self-aligned body contact with spacer. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, and at least two gate trenches formed in the semiconductor substrate. Each of the trenches comprises a gate electrode. The semiconductor device also includes a body contact trench formed in the semiconductor substrate between the gate trenches. The body contact trench has a lower width at the bottom of the body contact trench and an ohmic body contact implant beneath the body contact trench. The horizontal extent of the ohmic body contact implant is not greater than the lower width of the body contact trench.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This Application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.62/243,502, filed Oct. 19, 2015, which is hereby incorporated herein byreference in its entirety.

This Application is related to commonly owned U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 13/460,567, filed Apr. 20, 2012, to Bobde et al., entitled“Hybrid Split Gate Semiconductor,” which is hereby incorporated hereinby reference in its entirety.

This Application is related to commonly owned U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 14/058,933, filed Oct. 21, 2013, to Terrill and Guan, entitled“Semiconductor Structure with High Energy Dopant Implantation,” which ishereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention relate to the field of integratedcircuit design and manufacture. More specifically, embodiments of thepresent invention relate to systems and methods for a trench MOSFET withself-aligned body contact with spacer.

BACKGROUND

Conventional trench MOSFETs do not substantially benefit from decreasesin process geometry, e.g., a decrease in the pitch between trenches.Sub-micron cell pitch scaling is generally desirable for increasing thechannel density, which in turn decreases the channel resistance per unitarea. However, such scaling may also result in an undesirable narrowermesa width per unit area, which may increase the drift regionresistance. In addition, due to the decreased mesa width, the distancebetween the channel region and the body contact is deleteriouslydecreased, which may cause an undesirable increase in threshold voltage.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, what is needed are systems and methods for trenchmetal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) withself-aligned body contacts. An additional need exists for systems andmethods for trench MOSFETs with self-aligned body contacts havingincreased separation between a body contact implant and a gate trench.What is further needed are systems and methods for trench MOSFETs withself-aligned body contacts having improved performance at finer, e.g.,smaller, inter-gate pitch dimensions. A still further need exists forsystems and methods for trench MOSFETs with self-aligned body contactsthat are compatible and complementary with existing systems and methodsof integrated circuit design, manufacturing and test. Embodiments of thepresent invention provide these advantages.

In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, asemiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, and at leasttwo gate trenches formed in the semiconductor substrate. Each of thetrenches comprises a gate electrode. The semiconductor device alsoincludes a body contact trench formed in the semiconductor substratebetween the gate trenches. The body contact trench has a lower width atthe bottom of the body contact trench and an ohmic body contact implantbeneath the body contact trench. The horizontal extent of the ohmic bodycontact implant is not greater than the lower width of the body contacttrench.

In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, asemiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, and at leasttwo gate trenches formed in the semiconductor substrate. Each of thetrenches comprises a gate electrode. The semiconductor device alsoincludes a body contact trench formed in the semiconductor substratebetween the gate trenches. The body contact trench is characterized ashaving a substantially constant sidewall slope to a first depth. Thesemiconductor device further includes a body contact trench extensionformed in the semiconductor substrate extending from the bottom of thebody contact trench. A sidewall of the body contact trench extension isdisjoint with the sidewall slope of the body contact trench. Thesemiconductor device includes an ohmic body contact implant beneath thebody contact trench extension. The horizontal extent of the ohmic bodycontact implant is at not greater than the width of the body contacttrench at the first depth.

In accordance with a first method embodiment of the present invention, aplurality of gate trenches are formed into a semiconductor substrate. Abody contact trench is formed into the semiconductor substrate in a mesabetween the gate trenches. Spacers are deposited on sidewalls of thebody contact trench. An ohmic body contact is implanted into thesemiconductor substrate through the body contact trench utilizing thespacers to self-align the implant. A body contact trench extension maybe etched into the semiconductor substrate through the body contacttrench utilizing the spacers to self-align the etch, prior to theimplant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part ofthis specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and,together with the description, serve to explain the principles of theinvention. Unless otherwise noted, the drawings are not drawn to scale.

FIG. 1A illustrates a semiconductor wafer in an intermediate state ofmanufacture, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 1B illustrates a self-aligned implant of an ohmic body contact, inaccordance with embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 1C illustrates a self-aligned etch of a body contact trenchextension, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 1D illustrates a self-aligned implant of an ohmic body contact, inaccordance with embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary method, in accordance with embodimentsof the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of theinvention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings. While the invention will be described in conjunction withthese embodiments, it is understood that they are not intended to limitthe invention to these embodiments. On the contrary, the invention isintended to cover alternatives, modifications and equivalents, which maybe included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined bythe appended claims. Furthermore, in the following detailed descriptionof the invention, numerous specific details are set forth in order toprovide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will berecognized by one of ordinary skill in the art that the invention may bepracticed without these specific details. In other instances, well knownmethods, procedures, components, and circuits have not been described indetail as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the invention.

Notation and Nomenclature

Some portions of the detailed descriptions which follow, e.g., process200, are presented in terms of procedures, steps, logic blocks,processing, operations and other symbolic representations of operationson data bits that may be performed on computer memory. Thesedescriptions and representations are the means used by those skilled inthe data processing arts to most effectively convey the substance oftheir work to others skilled in the art. A procedure, computer executedstep, logic block, process, operation, etc., is here, and generally,conceived to be a self-consistent sequence of steps or instructionsleading to a desired result. The steps are those requiring physicalmanipulations of physical quantities. Usually, though not necessarily,these quantities take the form of electrical or magnetic signals capableof being stored, transferred, combined, compared, and otherwisemanipulated in a computer system. It has proven convenient at times,principally for reasons of common usage, to refer to these signals asbits, values, elements, symbols, characters, terms, numbers, or thelike.

It should be borne in mind, however, that all of these and similar termsare to be associated with the appropriate physical quantities and aremerely convenient labels applied to these quantities. Unlessspecifically stated otherwise as apparent from the followingdiscussions, it is appreciated that throughout the present invention,discussions utilizing terms such as “forming” or “depositing” or“implanting” or “etching” or “processing” or “singulating” or “filling”or “roughening” or “accessing” or “performing” or “generating” or“adjusting” or “creating” or “executing” or “continuing” or “indexing”or “computing” or “translating” or “calculating” or “determining” or“measuring” or “gathering” or “running” or the like, refer to the actionand processes of a computer system, or similar electronic computingdevice, that manipulates and transforms data represented as physical(electronic) quantities within the computer system's registers andmemories into other data similarly represented as physical quantitieswithin the computer system memories or registers or other suchinformation storage, transmission or display devices.

The figures are not drawn to scale, and only portions of the structures,as well as the various layers that form those structures, may be shownin the figures. Furthermore, fabrication processes and operations may beperformed along with the processes and operations discussed herein; thatis, there may be a number of process operations before, in betweenand/or after the operations shown and described herein. Importantly,embodiments in accordance with the present invention can be implementedin conjunction with these other (perhaps conventional) processes andoperations without significantly perturbing them. Generally speaking,embodiments in accordance with the present invention may replace and/orsupplement portions of a conventional process without significantlyaffecting peripheral processes and operations.

As used herein, the letter “n” refers to an n-type dopant and the letter“p” refers to a p-type dopant. A plus sign “+” or a minus sign “−” isused to represent, respectively, a relatively high or relatively lowconcentration of such dopant(s).

The term “channel” is used herein in the accepted manner. That is,current moves within a FET in a channel, from the source connection tothe drain connection. A channel can be made of either n-type or p-typesemiconductor material; accordingly, a FET is specified as either anre-channel or p-channel device. Some of the figures are discussed in thecontext of an n-channel device, specifically an n-channel verticalMOSFET; however, embodiments according to the present invention are notso limited. That is, the features described herein may be utilized in ap-channel device. The discussion of an n-channel device can be readilymapped to a p-channel device by substituting p-type dopant and materialsfor corresponding n-type dopant and materials, and vice versa.

The term “trench” has acquired two different, but related meaningswithin the semiconductor arts. Generally, when referring to a process,e.g., etching, the term trench is used to mean or refer to a void ofmaterial, e.g., a hole or ditch. Generally, the length of such a hole ismuch greater than its width or depth. However, when referring to asemiconductor structure or device, the term trench is used to mean orrefer to a solid vertically-aligned structure, disposed beneath asurface of a substrate, having a complex composition, different fromthat of the substrate, and usually adjacent to a channel of a fieldeffect transistor (FET). The structure comprises, for example, a gate ofthe FET. Accordingly, a trench semiconductor device generally comprisesa mesa structure, which is not a trench, and portions, e.g., one half,of two adjacent structural “trenches.”

It is to be appreciated that although the semiconductor structurecommonly referred to as a “trench” may be formed by etching a trench andthen filling the trench, the use of the structural term herein inregards to embodiments of the present invention does not imply, and isnot limited to such processes.

Trench MOSFET with Self-Aligned Body Contact with Spacer

FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate an exemplary method of forming a trench metaloxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) with self-alignedbody contact 100, in accordance with embodiments of the presentinvention. FIG. 1A illustrates a portion of an exemplary semiconductordevice 100. In FIG. 1A, a semiconductor wafer has been brought to anintermediate state by well known methods. For example, an N-typeepitaxial layer, e.g., epitaxial layer 110, is grown over a heavilydoped N+ silicon substrate, e.g., substrate 101. A hard mask oxide isgrown and a photolithographic process is used to pattern a photo resistin all areas outside the trench region. A plasma etch step is used toremove the oxide. A plurality of trenches, e.g., trenches 120, of, forexample, about 1.5 to 2 μm in depth are etched into the silicon. A driftregion, e.g., drift 125, is left between the trenches. After removingthe photo resist and the hard mask, a thick bottom oxide is grown ordeposited in the trenches by chemical vapor disposition (CVD). A dopedfirst polysilicon, e.g., polysilicon 155, is deposited and, for example,chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) and/or polysilicon etch back isperformed to align the top surface of the polysilicon to Primary Surface105.

A photolithographic process is used to place photo resist over thebottom source pickup area and a plasma etch step is used to etch, forexample, about 0.9 μm of the polysilicon material outside of this area.After cleaning the wafer, a photolithographic process is used to leave aphoto resist in all areas outside the region that the thick side walloxide region that needs to be removed, and a wet etch step is used toetch the oxide. After cleaning the wafer, a gate oxide is grown,followed by growth or deposition of a second doped polysilicon, e.g.,polysilicon 150. A chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) and/orpolysilicon etch back is performed to align the top surface of thepolysilicon to Primary Surface 105. A photolithographic process is usedto leave photo resist over the gate pickup area, and a plasma etch stepis used to etch, for example, about 0.2 μm of the polysilicon materialoutside of this area, forming, for example, body contact trench 190.

Subsequently, N+ source implants are used to form the source region,e.g., source region 130, by ion implantation and annealing. Oxide isdeposited and chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) and/or oxide etch backis performed to align the oxide surface to Primary Surface 105. Body Pimplants are used to form the body region, e.g., body region 140. Lowtemperature oxide (LTO) and borophosphosilicate glass (BPSG) aredeposited. A photolithographic process is used to apply photoresist atthe region outside the source contact area, and a plasma etch is used toetch oxide outside of this area. A subsequent silicon etch may be usedto form self-aligned body contact trench 190 using oxide in the GateTrench 120 above the Gate Poly 150 as self-aligned hard mask.

The trenches 120 extend from a primary surface 105 of a wafer to asuitable depth. The trenches may terminate in optional epitaxial layer110, in some embodiments. Epitaxial layer 110 may be formed on substrate101. Each trench 120 may have one or more polysilicon regions commonlyknown as gates. Poly 150 is typically coupled to a gate terminal of theMOSFET, for example. Optional poly 155, if present, may be coupled to aDC voltage, for example, a source terminal of the MOSFET. In such aconfiguration, poly 155 is generally known as or referred to as a“shield gate.” A MOSFET comprising an active gate and a shield gate asillustrated is generally known as or referred to as a “split gate”MOSFET. It is to be appreciated that embodiments in accordance with thepresent invention are well suited to single gate MOSFETS and split-gateMOSFETS, as well as to trench MOSFETS with other gate configurations.For example, embodiments in accordance with the present invention arewell suited to hybrid split gate MOSFETs, e.g., as disclosed inco-pending, commonly owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/460,567,filed Apr. 20, 2012, to Bobde et al., entitled “Hybrid Split GateSemiconductor,” which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety.

In accordance with the conventional art, body contact trench 190 wouldbe used to guide an implant of an ohmic body contact and later filledwith source metal, such that the body and the source of the MOSFET areat the same potential. However, such a conventional process tends toproduce a body contact that is too large and too close to the channelregion, undesirably increasing channel resistance and threshold voltage.

(It is appreciated that current in the body region 140 is not uniform,and that the predominate portions of the channel form near the trenches120, e.g., where the electric field of the gate 150 is strongest.Accordingly, portions of a body contact closer to the trenches 120 havea greater effect on FET behavior.)

FIG. 1B illustrates a self-aligned implant of an ohmic body contact 170,in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 1Billustrates a portion of an exemplary semiconductor device 100. Spacers160 are formed on the sidewalls of body contact trench 190. Spacers 160may be any material and thickness suitable as a mask for a subsequentimplant of body contact 170. Suitable materials include CVD oxide and/ornitride of, for example, about 300 to 600 Å (0.03 to 0.06 μm) thickness.The spacers 160 are utilized as a mask for the P+ implant, e.g., ofboron difluoride (BF₂), to form ohmic body contact 170.

In this novel manner, the ohmic body contact implant 170 is lessened inhorizontal extent, and is farther from the channel region, in comparisonto the conventional art. For example, under the conventional art, anohmic body contact implant would be a distance d₁ from the trench 120.In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, ohmic bodycontact implant 170 is a greater distance, d₁ plus d₂, away from thetrench. Beneficially, detrimental effects of a body contact are reducedin comparison to the conventional art.

In addition, due to the greater separation of the ohmic body contactimplant from the trench in accordance with embodiments of the presentinvention in comparison to the convention art, the implant may be formedat greater dopant concentrations and/or higher implant energies, incomparison to the convention art. For example, embodiments in accordancewith the present invention are well suited to the systems and methodsdisclosed in co-pending, commonly owned U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/058,933, filed Oct. 21, 2013, to Terrill and Guan, entitled“Semiconductor Structure with High Energy Dopant Implantation,” which ishereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. For example, aconventional boron difluoride (BF₂) implant may be performed with a doseof about 2e14 cm⁻² at an energy of about 20 keV. In contrast,embodiments in accordance with the present invention may implant borondifluoride (BF₂) to a dose of about 2e14 to 6e14 cm⁻² with an energy ofabout 20-60 keV.

FIGS. 1C and 1D illustrate an exemplary method of forming a trenchMOSFET with self-aligned body contact with spacer 100, in accordancewith embodiments of the present invention. In FIGS. 1C and 1D,structures indicated by reference numbers with a prime symbol (′) aresimilar to structures in FIGS. 1A and 1B indicated by reference numberswithout such symbology. As previously presented, FIG. 1A illustrates asemiconductor wafer 100 in an intermediate state. FIG. 1C illustrates aportion of an exemplary semiconductor device 100. FIG. 1C illustrates aself-aligned extension 195 of body contact trench 190′. Spacers 160′ areformed on the sidewalls of body contact trench 190′. Spacers 160′ may beany material and thickness suitable as a mask for etching epitaxiallayer 110 and a subsequent implant of body contact 170′. Suitablematerials include CVD oxide and/or nitride of, for example, about 300 to600 Å (0.03 to 0.06 μm) thickness.

FIG. 1C illustrates a self-aligned etch of a body contact trenchextension 195, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.As illustrated in FIG. 1C, spacers 160′ are utilized to self-align abody contact trench extension 195 through the body contract trench 190′.Any suitable process may be used to form body contact trench extension195, for example, a plasma etch. Body contact trench extension 195 maybe any suitable depth that will not cause a negative effect on breakdownvoltage of the body diode, for example, a depth up to about 0.3 μm.

FIG. 1D illustrates a self-aligned implant of an ohmic body contact170′, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 1Dillustrates a portion of an exemplary semiconductor device 100. Ohmicbody contact 170′ is implanted through the body contact trench 190′ andthrough the body contact trench extension 190 into the epitaxial layer110 at the bottom of the body contact trench extension 190. The spacers160′ are utilized as a mask for the P+ implant, e.g., of borondifluoride (BF₂), to form ohmic body contact 170′.

In this novel manner, the ohmic body contact implant 170′ is lessened inhorizontal extent, and is farther from the channel region, in comparisonto the conventional art. For example, under the conventional art, anohmic body contact implant would be a distance d₁ (FIG. 1B) from thetrench 120. In accordance with embodiments of the present invention,ohmic body contact implant 170′ is a greater distance, d₁ plus d₃, awayfrom the trench. Due to the sloping nature of the sidewall of trenches120, the increased depth of ohmic body contact implant 170′ results infurther increased separation from the trench 120. Accordingly, thedimension d₃ is greater than d₁ (FIG. 1B). Beneficially, detrimentaleffects of a body contact are reduced in comparison to the conventionalart, and may be improved relative to the embodiment of FIG. 1B.

In addition, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention,body contact trench 190′ may be made less deep than, for example, acomparable body contact trench under the conventional art, due to theextra depth available from body contact trench extension 195. Forexample, the sum of the body contact trench 190′ depth plus the depth ofthe extension 195 may be about the same as a comparable body contacttrench under the conventional art. For example, under the conventionalart, a body contact trench may be about 0.5 μm below primary surface105. In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, thecombination of the body contact trench 190′ depth plus the depth of theextension 195 may be about 0.5 μm below primary surface 105, with thebody contact trench 190′ being about 0.25 μm below primary surface 105,e.g., less deep than a body contact trench under the conventional art.

For example, body contact trench 190 may be about 0.5 μm deep. Anexemplary depth for body contact trench 190′ is about 0.25 μm. Bodycontact trench extension 195 may be about 0.25 μm deep, for example.

Forming a less deep body contact trench may have numerous benefits tothe structure and processing of a trench MOSFET, including, for example,decreased processing time in forming the trench, a larger source implantarea 130′, improved source implant effectiveness and lower “on”resistance.

After forming the ohmic body contact 170 or 170′, the spacers areremoved, e.g., by wet etching using hot phosphoric acid (H₃PO₄) fornitride spacers, and/or a Buffered Oxide Etch (BOE) or dilutehydrofluoric acid (HF) for oxide spacers. The remaining operations toproduce a trench MOSFET are well known. For example, a photolithographicprocess may be used to deposit a pattern of photoresist in the regionoutside of the gate pickup area, and plasma etching may be used to etchoxide outside of this area. After cleaning the wafer and using, forexample, a dilute hydrogen fluoride (HF) pre-treatment, a titanium layerand a titanium-nitride layer may be deposited. A rapid thermal annealmay be used to form a titanium-silicide contact. A tungsten layer may bedeposited via CVD, which is thick enough to completely fill thecontacts. The tungsten may then be etched back to planerize the tungstensuch that it only remains inside the contacts. A titanium layer and athick aluminum layer may be deposited. A photolithographic process maybe used to leave a photoresist over the metallization area and a plasmaand/or wet etch may be used to remove the aluminum and titanium layeroutside of this area.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary method 200, in accordance withembodiments of the present invention. In 210, a plurality of gatetrenches, for example, gate trenches 120 as illustrated in FIG. 1A, areformed into a semiconductor substrate. The trenches may be about, forexample, 1.5 to 2 μm in depth, in some embodiments. In 220, a bodycontact trench, for example, body contact trench 190 as illustrated inFIG. 1A or body contact trench 190′ as illustrated in FIG. 1C, is formedinto the semiconductor substrate in a mesa between the gate trenches.

In 230, spacers, for example spacers 160 as illustrated in FIG. 1B, aredeposited on sidewalls of the body contact trench, for example, bodycontact trench 190 as illustrated in FIG. 1A. The spacers may have athickness in the range of, for example, 0.03 to 0.06 μm, in someembodiments. The body contact trench may extend, for example, to about0.2 to 0.6 μm from a primary surface of a wafer, in some embodiments.

In optional 240, a body contact trench extension, for example, bodycontact trench extension 195 as illustrated in FIG. 1C, is etched intothe semiconductor substrate through the body contact trench, forexample, body contact trench 190′ as illustrated in FIG. 1C, utilizingthe spacers to self-align the etch. The body contact trench extensionmay extend, for example, about 0.1 to 0.2 μm below the bottom of thebody contact trench, in some embodiments.

In 250, an ohmic body contact, for example, ohmic body contact 170 asillustrated in FIG. 1B, is implanted into the semiconductor substratethrough the body contact trench utilizing the spacers to self-align theimplant. In optional 260, the spacers are removed, for example, via wetetching using hot phosphoric acid (H₃PO₄) for nitride spacers and/or aBuffered Oxide Etch (BOE) or dilute hydrofluoric acid (HF) for oxidespacers.

Embodiments in accordance with the present invention provide systems andmethods for trench metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors(MOSFETs) with self-aligned body contacts. In addition, embodiments inaccordance with the present invention provide systems and methods fortrench MOSFETs with self-aligned body contacts having increasedseparation between a body contact implant and a gate trench. Further,embodiments in accordance with the present invention provide systems andmethods for trench MOSFETs with self-aligned body contacts havingimproved performance at finer, e.g., smaller, inter-gate pitchdimensions. Still further, embodiments in accordance with the presentinvention provide systems and methods for trench MOSFETs withself-aligned body contacts that are compatible and complementary withexisting systems and methods of integrated circuit design, manufacturingand test.

Various embodiments of the invention are thus described. While thepresent invention has been described in particular embodiments, itshould be appreciated that the invention should not be construed aslimited by such embodiments, but rather construed according to the belowclaims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A semiconductor device comprising: asemiconductor substrate; at least two gate trenches formed in saidsemiconductor substrate, wherein each of said trenches comprises a gateelectrode; a body contact trench formed in said semiconductor substratebetween said gate trenches, having a lower width at the bottom of saidbody contact trench, wherein said body contact trench extends to a depthgreater than a maximum depth of a source region; and an ohmic bodycontact implant beneath said body contact trench, wherein a horizontalextent of an entirety of said ohmic body contact implant is less thansaid lower width of said body contact trench.
 2. The semiconductordevice of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of spacers on the sidesof said body contact trench.
 3. The semiconductor device of claim 2wherein said spacers are characterized as having a thickness in therange of 0.03 to 0.06 μm.
 4. The semiconductor device of claim 3 whereina horizontal extent of said ohmic body contact implant differs from saidlower width of said body contact trench by about said thickness of saidspacers from each side.
 5. The semiconductor device of claim 2 whereinsaid spacers comprise nitride.
 6. The semiconductor device of claim 2wherein said spacers comprise chemical vapor deposition (CVD) oxide. 7.The semiconductor device of claim 1 further comprising a shieldelectrode, disposed below and electrically isolated from said gateelectrode, in at least one of said gate trenches.
 8. A semiconductordevice comprising: a semiconductor substrate; at least two gate trenchesformed in said semiconductor substrate, wherein each of said trenchescomprises a gate electrode; a body contact trench formed in saidsemiconductor substrate between said gate trenches, said body contacttrench characterized as having a substantially constant sidewall slopeto a first depth; a body contact trench extension formed in saidsemiconductor substrate extending from the bottom of said body contacttrench, wherein a sidewall of said body contact trench extension isdisjoint with said sidewall slope of said body contact trench; and anohmic body contact implant beneath said body contact trench extension,wherein a horizontal extent of all of said ohmic body contact implant isnot greater than a width of said body contact trench at said firstdepth.
 9. The semiconductor device of claim 8 further comprising aplurality of spacers on the sides of said body contact trench.
 10. Thesemiconductor device of claim 9 wherein an sidewall of said body contacttrench extension is offset from a corresponding sidewall of said bodycontact trench by a thickness of said spacer.
 11. The semiconductordevice of claim 8 wherein a slope of sidewalls of said body contacttrench extension is different that said slope of said body contacttrench.
 12. The semiconductor device of claim 8 wherein a slope ofsidewalls of said body contact trench extension is substantiallyvertical.
 13. The semiconductor device of claim 8 wherein body contacttrench extension extends about 0.1 to 0.3 μm below said first depth. 14.The semiconductor device of claim 8 further comprising a shieldelectrode, disposed below and electrically isolated from said gateelectrode, in at least one of said gate trenches.
 15. A semiconductordevice comprising: a semiconductor substrate; at least two gate trenchesformed in said semiconductor substrate, wherein each of said trenchescomprises a gate electrode; a body contact trench formed in saidsemiconductor substrate between said gate trenches; an ohmic bodycontact implant beneath said body contact trench, wherein said ohmicbody contact implant is entirely beneath said body contact trench, andwherein said ohmic body contact implant is formed at a depth greaterthan a maximum depth of a source region, wherein a maximum horizontalextent of said ohmic body contact implant is less than a horizontalextent of the lowest portion of said body contact trench.
 16. Thesemiconductor device of claim 15 further comprising a plurality ofspacers on the sides of said body contact trench.
 17. The semiconductordevice of claim 16 wherein said spacers are characterized as having athickness in the range of 0.03 to 0.06 μm.
 18. The semiconductor deviceof claim 15 further comprising a shield electrode, disposed below andelectrically isolated from said gate electrode, in at least one of saidgate trenches.
 19. The semiconductor device of claim 15 wherein a depthof said body contact trench is less than 0.5 μm.
 20. The semiconductordevice of claim 9 wherein said spacers are characterized as having athickness in the range of 0.03 to 0.06 μm.
 21. The semiconductor deviceof claim 8 wherein sidewalls of said body contact trench extension aremore vertical than said sidewalls of said body contact trench.